I worked for and with Jim at Carnation and Nestle.  He was the kindest person, a gentle Giant.  He was very competitive and loved to laugh with all of us at sales meetings we held several times.  He matured into chain account management where he excelled in maintaining relationships with the biggest customers we sold.  He was instrumental in keeping us solid with Burger King for many years.  Everyone in sales loved him and liked being around him.  Always kind to everyone he met.  He will be missed by many!

I worked with Jim in the Atlanta office for around 10 years before he retired.   He will be missed.  

"Mr. Hobbs" lived across the street from our family in their first Dunwoody house.  Our family loved Jim, Diane,  Beth and Christine dearly.  The girls were my playmates and I became their babysitter until 1984 at their Redfield house until I moved away.  I spent a lot of time at their house and the funniest memory I have of Jim was from his traveling days with Carnation.  We were all in the kitchen, and Diane asked Jim, " Will you be traveling next week"?  Jim said, "Oh yes, I have to go to KALAMAZOO".  I laughed so hard as an 11 year old kid.... I thought he was joking and that place did not exist.  Boy, I felt stupid.... never heard of that place, and never been to Michigan.   So... every time I hear of KALAMAZOO, I think of Mr. Hobbs.  
My brother, Johnny, reminded me that Mr. Hobbs paid him to cut his grass and helped Johnny save to buy his first drum set.  He still loves music and plays music in his church.   Great memories with the Hobbs family.   We love you all.  The Arants 

Jim and I discussed football, baseball & basketball.  When we talked politics we thought we could solve the worlds problems. Jim was a great athlete who always beat me in tennis. However, I won in racquetball because he could not lift his arms above his shoulder.  Talked to him a lot when he was in hospice and he did not lose his sense of humor.  He was a great friend and I will miss him. 

I was one James Hobbs caregivers he was an amazing smart man I enjoyed his laughter and friendship with he and his wonderful wife Diane. He will be missed and loved always.

We played football together at Wake--suffered through some hot two a days in August---he was a friend of mine--


When my family lived in Harrisburg, Pa, we used to visit my mom's brother, my uncle Tom, and his wife, Aunt Loretta, at their house on Chamber's Hill Road.  Their house had a laundry chute, which fascinated me, and my brother, Richard.  We were about 7 and 5 at the time.  I remember looking down that laundry chute every time we visited.  Once, Jimmy, who was a grown up teenager around 16 or so, grabbed me by the back of my belt and hoisted me halfway into that laundry chute, saying he was going to drop me into it.  I thought at the time this was the neatest thing in the world and hoped he would.  But he pulled me out, and said "no... you'll splatter yourself across the basement floor and make everyone mad".   He and his brother, Tommy, had a basketball net in the driveway and tried to teach me the game.  I thought at the time that this was one of the stupidest sports out there... fighting to throw a ball into a hoop.  I still think it's a useless sport, but they thought it was cool.  I remember Jimmy's 45 RPM record player and the early 60s records he and Tommy played on it.  He was a good cousin.  Eternity life in Heaven, Jimmy. 

Jim was a great Wake Forest teammate and  friend of many years. It was fortunate indeed that we both ended up in Atlanta and were able to continue the friendship we started at Wake.  Jim was a fierce competitor on the field, but a wonderful friend and very funny guy off of it.  We shared many happy hours together.  I will miss  the “Old Man” very much. 

When I was about 5 years old I went to see Jimmy, who was my first cousin, play football at Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg.   We watched the game from a parking lot at the reservoir park which overlooked the football field.  I remember it being very cold, and being 5 at the time and not knowing anything about football I was not fully aware of the game, but found it exciting.    I also remember visiting Jimmy’s parents, Uncle Tom and Aunt Loretta, and him being an almost-grown-up teenager, me being a 5 year old.  During one visit he went out somewhere with his teenage friends. I asked his mom where he was going. She said teenagers go out and drive around and meet their friends for pizza.  Good memories.   Rest In Peace Jimmy. 

A Memorial Mass Will Be Celebrated

Jim is survived by his wife, Diane Hobbs of Dunwoody, Ga; brother, Thomas Hobbs of Orlando, FL; his daughters and sons in law, Elisabeth and Rob Williams of Darien,CT, Christine and Rich Giacopelli of Ridgewood, NJ; and his five grandchildren, Cate Williams, Charlie Williams, Emma Williams all of Darien, CT, Ryan Giacopelli and Owen Giacopelli both of Ridgewood, NJ.

OBITUARY

James Donald Hobbs

June 25, 1945 – July 17, 2019

H.M. Patterson & Son-Arlington Chapel

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